Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks 

Date Issued: 01/06/2022 

Date Revised: 01/18/2024 

1

100 Overview

110 This document provides additional program certification requirements for the following egg 

products purchased by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the applicable 

Federal Purchase Program Specification (FPPS) and all Exhibits: 

• Hard Boiled 

• Whole Eggs

• All Purpose Egg Mix

• Egg Patty

111 Actual purchases shall be described in the AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity 

Procurements – Domestic Programs (MSCP-D) and Solicitations.

120 For contract compliance and certification of product, the contractor may request the use of 

either Option A – AMS QAD Grading-based Monitoring and Certification service, or Option B 

– QAD Audit-based Verification service, for assessing contract compliance of the finished 

product. AMS shall seek to honor the request of the contractor but reserves the right to make 

a final determination. 

121 When an option is implemented, the contractor shall remain under that service until 

completion of the contract, at which time it may request a change in oversight option for any 

subsequent contract.

130 The cost of all grading, auditing and certification services performed by AMS agents shall be 

at the expense of the contractor. This includes, but is not limited to, audits, examinations, 

supervision, official documentation, and related services.

140 Questions concerning charges and the availability of AMS agents can be directed to a 

USDA/AMS, LP Program’s Quality Assessment Division (QAD) field office or to USDA, AMS, 

LP, QAD Business Operations Branch, 10809 Executive Center Drive, Suite 318, Little Rock, 

AR 72211-6022; phone: 501-312-2962 or email: QAD.BusinessOps@usda.gov

 

SUPPLEMENT FOR EGG 

PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTED FOR

FEDERAL FOOD AND NUTRITION 

ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

APPROVED

 Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS) Livestock and Poultry (LP) Program

Standards and Specification Division (SSD)

Room 2624 S-Bldg., Phone: (202) 692-0086

Changes from previous requirements in blue

 Effective: January 2024
Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks

Date Issued: 01/06/2022

Date Revised: 01/18/2024

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200 AMS Contract Compliance Option A: Grading-Based Monitoring and Certification

210 QAD Grading-Based Monitoring and Certification 

211 Monitoring of production, processing and product certification shall be conducted through the 

direct continuous supervision of an AMS Grader in accordance with the requirements listed in 

the FPPS and AMS/LP/QAD Policies and Procedures for certifying USDA commodity foods. 

A technical proposal is not required to be submitted when the contractor is operating under 

Option A. All raw materials will be subjected to the certification process prior to being utilized 

in manufacture finished products.

220 Pre-Production Onsite Plant Survey

221 QAD shall contact the contractor to set-up a pre-production plant survey, including review of 

food defense and production capability, and discuss production and certification 

requirements.

230 Post-Award Monitoring and Certification

231 The AMS Grader shall be present at all times during production and processing of the 

commodity. 

232 The AMS Grader may select samples for laboratory analyses or inspect the commodity at 

any point in transit and after delivery to point of destination.

233 The contractor or AMS Grader shall perform checkloading examinations as described in the 

FPPS at the time of shipment and issue an acceptance document to accompany each 

shipment.

234 The AMS Grader shall be responsible for certification of compliance with the requirements of 

the FPPS including, but not limited to, raw material, formulation, cooking, refrigeration or 

freezing, packaging and packing, metal detection, labeling and marking and net weight.

300 AMS Contract Compliance Option B: Audit-Based Verification

310 Audit-Based Verification

311 Verification of production and processing shall be conducted through routine audits 

performed by QAD according to the contractor’s and/or subcontractor’s approved technical 

proposal (see section 360 – Technical Proposal Requirements) and the applicable FPPS. All 

raw material shall be under applicable USDA oversight and/or certification as outlined in the 

FPPS. This includes, but is not limited to, regulatory requirements of USDA FSIS, FDA and 

AMS regulations.

311.1 Interested contractors may submit sample(s) and technical proposal (outlined in Sections 350 

and 360) at any time during the pre-bid period. Contractors should allow 10 working days,

from USDA’s receipt of the product sample(s) and technical proposal for notification of 

evaluation results. A contractor is deemed eligible upon notification of approval of the
Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks

Date Issued: 01/06/2022

Date Revised: 01/18/2024

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sample(s) and technical proposal by SSD. Submission of sample(s) and technical proposal is 

not binding on USDA. 

311.2 Once a contractor is notified by SSD that the technical proposal meets the applicable criteria, 

QAD shall contact the contractor to set up a pre-bid onsite capability assessment audit. 

320 Pre-Bid Onsite Capability Assessment Audit

321 QAD shall conduct an onsite capability assessment that shall consist of reviewing:

321.1 Food Defense Requirements – QAD shall conduct a food defense audit that shall include, but 

is not limited to, a thorough evaluation of the contractor’s and or subcontractor’s food 

defense plan. Documentation shall support the contractor’s and/or subcontractor’s food 

defense plan and meet requirements of Section 4A52.246-2 of the MSCP-D for Commodity 

Procurements.

321.2 Production of the commodity that complies with the applicable FPPS and approved technical 

proposal or production plan, 

321.3 records related to purchasing, receiving, production, quality control, inventory, shipping, and, 

321.4 interviews with management and production personnel.

322 Upon completion, QAD shall provide SSD either with a verbal or email notification of the audit 

findings. SSD shall notify the vendor of their status based on the audit findings as well as 

QAD and the Commodity Procurement Program (CPP). The official final audit report shall be 

sent to the contractor once released from QAD. 

323 After bid opening, CPP shall contact QAD and SSD to determine that contractors have met 

all requirements to deem the bids responsive or non-responsive.

324 For bids that are determined to be non-responsive bids, CPP shall notify the contractor(s) 

directly.

330 Post-Award Assessment Audit

331 Contractors who receive contracts shall have their required documentation readily available 

for review upon request by SSD, QAD, or other AMS agents. Records may be maintained in 

hard copy or electronically. However, records maintained electronically shall be made 

available immediately upon request.

332 QAD shall conduct an onsite audit of the contractor’s and/or subcontractor’s facility(s) and 

processes when production commences for the first contract awarded. Additional audits, and 

their frequency, shall be conducted as determined by QAD, but not less than once per month 

for contractors or subcontractors with continuous or multiple contracts, or once per contract 

for intermittent contractors. At the discretion of QAD, more frequent audits may be conducted 

when audit deficiencies are detected. 
Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks

Date Issued: 01/06/2022

Date Revised: 01/18/2024

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340 Post-Award Actions

341 Any deviation from contractual requirements shall be immediately reported by the contractor 

to the Contracting Officer and SSD. The Contracting Officer or SSD shall notify the contractor 

regarding eligibility to continue to participate as a contractor. 

342 Contractor shall assure that the delivered product complies with the provisions of the FPPS, 

the applicable assessment by AMS, and the contractor’s technical proposal approved by 

SSD.

343 In the instance that any non-conformance is cited by the AMS auditor, or when a complaint is 

received by commodity recipient agencies, the contractor shall submit a cause and effect 

analysis and corrective actions to address the non-conformance or complaint. 

350 Product Sample

351 Potential contractors shall submit samples that are produced in accordance with their

submitted technical proposal.

351.1 Contractors with previously approved technical proposals and product samples, or previous 

award and production of USDA AMS commodity product under FSIS oversight, are not 

required to resubmit. Any change to previously approved technical proposal and product 

sample (ingredient/formulation) shall be resubmitted for review and approval to SSD prior to 

bid.

352 Contractor shall submit one 5-pound sample (or two samples if a sample unit is less than 5-

pounds) along with a legible product label which illustrates the ingredient statement, Nutrition 

Facts, safe handling instructions, and allergen declaration (if applicable). All samples shall

arrive in the frozen (0°F or lower) or refrigerated (34°F to 40°F) state, as outlined in the 

FPPS. 

352.1 For bulk liquid whole eggs (100047), a product sample is not required.

360 Technical Proposal Requirements

361 The contractor shall submit a Technical Proposal that meets the following Requirements:

361.1 Include a detailed description of the egg products offered and each of the production steps 

that are taken to meet or exceed the minimum product requirements set forth in the FPPS. 

(Plan/Do)

361.2 Describe all the quality assurance methods used to verify conformance to all requirements. 

This shall include the monitoring and measurements taken during the process to verify 

conformance with each requirement. All measurement results shall be recorded and made 

available to AMS. (Check)

361.3 Identify all corrective actions to be taken if deviations from contractual and specification 

requirements occur during production, and all preventative actions to be taken to preclude a 
 

Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks 

Date Issued: 01/06/2022 

Date Revised: 01/18/2024 

5

reoccurrence. (Act)

361.4 The technical proposal shall follow the format as shown in Exhibit A-D. Technical proposals 

should be brief and concise.

361.5 The technical proposal shall be preceded by the following, as required by the template:

361.5.1 Table of Contents listing the major areas as they appear in the technical proposal; and

361.5.2 List of attachments, forms provided with the technical proposal, if appropriate with the 

applicable document name and reference number.

362 SSD shall review each technical proposal to determine if the proposal is adequate and shall 

notify the contractor of the status of their technical proposal and their eligibility to bid.

363 Instructions for Submission of Technical Proposal

363.1 The following procedures establish the acceptable minimum requirements for the 

format and content of the technical proposal:

363.1.1 The Government has provided a technical proposal format which is to be used in preparing 

the technical proposal (see Exhibit A-D). The contractor shall submit the technical proposal

as an email file attachment to AMS (TechnicalApprovals@usda.gov, 

Anjeanette.Johnson@usda.gov, Jeffrey.Hendricks@usda.gov and Jed.Warnock@usda.gov). 

363.1.2 The technical proposal shall be saved in a non-portable document file format (not PDF; e.g., 

Microsoft Word). The technical proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. If the file size of the 

technical proposal is too large to send in a single email, it may be divided and sent in multiple 

emails (i.e., Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, etc.). The collection of attachments and appendices shall be 

submitted as a separate document as well. 

363.1.3 The technical proposal shall be submitted by an authorized agent of the company.

363.1.4 While it is not the desire of the Government to penalize an offeror for non-compliance with 

formatting instructions, technical evaluators may have difficulty evaluating the technical 

proposal to the fullest extent possible if the proposal is not presented in the proper format. 

Technical evaluators shall not be required to search other subsections or sections of the 

offeror’s technical proposal for information requested in the evaluation.

364 Technical Proposal Revisions

364.1 Changes to a contractor’s technical proposal may be submitted at any time or at the request of 

SSD. All technical proposal revisions shall meet the following criteria:

364.2 Any changes to a technical proposal made by the contractor after its initial submittal shall be 

accomplished by submitting an entire technical proposal. A cover letter shall be submitted 

with the changes identified and an explanation of the need for the change. The contractor

shall include the revision date and the appropriate page number(s).
 

Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks 

Date Issued: 01/06/2022 

Date Revised: 01/18/2024 

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364.3 Changes to original technical proposal shall be highlighted and deletions in strikeout
Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks

Date Issued: 01/06/2022

Date Revised: 01/18/2024

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EXHIBIT A

Technical Proposal Format for Hard Cooked Eggs

Cover Page:

Company Name

Company Address

Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, e-mail 

address (must be authorized to represent the company).

Technical Proposal for: Hard Cooked Eggs

Table of Contents (all pages and attachments shall be numbered and identified – all attachments 

shall be identified and referenced in the Technical Proposal).

The technical proposal should document a quality control program that includes procedures, records, 

forms, pictures, etc., which demonstrates conformance with the following checklist of requirements for 

all Sections and Subsections therein:

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

200 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

300 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

400 PROCESSING

500 MICROBIAL

600 HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS

700 PACKAGING AND PACKING

800 FINAL EXAMINATION OF PACKAGED AND PACKED COMMODITY

900 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

1000 SHIPMENT AND DELIVERY

1100 DESTINATION EXAMINATION

1200 PRODUCT ASSUARNCE AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

Attachments or Appendixes - Please attach all referenced documents with the applicable document 

name and reference number.
Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks

Date Issued: 01/06/2022

Date Revised: 01/18/2024

8

EXHIBIT B

Technical Proposal Format for Whole Eggs

Cover Page:

Company Name

Company Address

Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, e-mail 

address (must be authorized to represent the company).

Technical Proposal for: Whole Eggs

Table of Contents (all pages and attachments shall be numbered and identified – all attachments 

shall be identified and referenced in the Technical Proposal).

The technical proposal should document a quality control program that includes procedures, records, 

forms, pictures, etc., which demonstrates conformance with the following checklist of requirements for 

all Sections and Subsections therein:

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

200 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

300 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

400 PROCESSING

500 PACKAGING AND PACKING

600 MICROBIOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS – SAMPLING AND LABORATORY ANALYSIS

700 LABELING

800 FINAL EXAMINATION OF PACKAGED AND PACKED COMMODITY

900 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

1000 SHIPMENT AND DELIVERY

1100 DESTINATION EXAMINATION

1200 PRODUCT ASSUARNCE AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

Attachments or Appendixes - Please attach all referenced documents with the applicable document 

name and reference number.
Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks

Date Issued: 01/06/2022

Date Revised: 01/18/2024

9

EXHIBIT C

Technical Proposal Format for All Purpose Egg Mix

Cover Page:

Company Name

Company Address

Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, e-mail 

address (must be authorized to represent the company).

Technical Proposal for: All Purpose Egg Mix

Table of Contents (all pages and attachments shall be numbered and identified – all attachments 

shall be identified and referenced in the Technical Proposal).

The technical proposal should document a quality control program that includes procedures, records, 

forms, pictures, etc., which demonstrates conformance with the following checklist of requirements for 

all Sections and Subsections therein:

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

200 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

300 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

400 PROCESSING

500 PACKAGING AND PACKING

600 LABELING

700 FINAL EXAMINATION OF PACKAGED AND PACKED COMMODITY

800 UNITIZATION

900 SHIPMENT AND DELIVERY

1000 DESTINATION EXAMINATION

1100 PRODUCT ASSUARNCE AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

Attachments or Appendixes - Please attach all referenced documents with the applicable document 

name and reference number.
Approved by: Jeffrey Hendricks

Date Issued: 01/06/2022

Date Revised: 01/18/2024

10

EXHIBIT D

Technical Proposal Format for Frozen, Fully cooked, Scrambled, Round Egg Patty

Cover Page:

Company Name

Company Address

Contact Person, including title, phone number, including emergency contact information, e-mail 

address (must be authorized to represent the company).

Technical Proposal for: Frozen, Fully cooked, Scrambled, Round Egg Patty

Table of Contents (all pages and attachments shall be numbered and identified – all attachments 

shall be identified and referenced in the Technical Proposal).

The technical proposal should document a quality control program that includes procedures, records, 

forms, pictures, etc., which demonstrates conformance with the following checklist of requirements for 

all Sections and Subsections therein:

100 ITEM DESCRIPTION

200 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

300 CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS

400 PROCESSING

500 MICROBIAL

600 HEATING INSTRUCTIONS

700 PACKAGING AND PACKING

800 FINAL EXAMINATION OF PACKAGED AND PACKED COMMODITY

900 PALLETIZED UNIT LOADS

1000 SHIPMENT AND DELIVERY

1100 DESTINATION EXAMINATION

1200 PRODUCT ASSUARNCE AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION 

Attachments or Appendixes - Please attach all referenced documents with the applicable document 

name and reference number.